gabspina's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
na teoria esse livro não é pra mim, já que quase todos os elementos e tropes são desagrados pessoais, mas por alguma razão louca do universo, funcionou demais nesse momento da minha vida
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Sexism, and Medical content
rosiebethreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Miscarriage
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Medical content, Pregnancy, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Infertility
seawarrior's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had a difficult time getting through this book. Susan is a very judgmental and downright mean person, and I struggled to tolerate her perspective. I understood how it developed, especially as the book went on, but that did little to make me empathize with her ableist, disparaging and overcritical thought process more. I also found it hard to accept that most of the leading characters in this book are in their forties, since they behaved more like college students, Susan included. I wasn't really invested in the contents of the story, but kept telling myself that eventually Susan would "bloom" and start seeing the world in a new way, as promised. Her growth wasn't as rewarding as I'd hoped however, and I finished the book feeling like I'd wasted my time. I wouldn't recommend this book to others mostly because of my dislike for Susan. It was well written in regards to the story and the internal and external dialogue however, so other readers may still enjoy it. I'm just not one of them.
As a final related note, due to a disability recommendation list I was going through, I was led to believe that Susan was deliberately written as autistic, and that she would discover this eventually. This never happened however, so either the book's inclusion on that list was in error, or Susan's autism was confirmed by the author outside it. I just wanted to note that here in the event that another person starts reading this book in mistake, as I did.
As a final related note, due to a disability recommendation list I was going through, I was led to believe that Susan was deliberately written as autistic, and that she would discover this eventually. This never happened however, so either the book's inclusion on that list was in error, or Susan's autism was confirmed by the author outside it. I just wanted to note that here in the event that another person starts reading this book in mistake, as I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, and Vomit
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